TSDDOC

Network storage

Storage concept

In TSD, the
Network storage is a folder on a computer selected by user.

Each network asset is represented by an .inv file.

The folder structure inside the Storage replicates the structure of the groups created by user in the Network tree. Any direct changes to the Storage contents shall be registered by the program.

It means that you can create, delete and rename groups, move and delete asset files either using TSD tools or via any file manager. Furthermore, its design makes it possible to back-up and share data with other TSD users, etc.

For the program to function correctly, do not delete, move or rename auxiliary hidden files in the Storage root. This may lead to data loss or corruption.

Do not rename asset files (*.inv). See here to learn how to change displayed names.

Storage contents

Contents of auxiliary files

Logins for access to assets (encrypted);

Storage properties.

Contents of an asset file (*.inv)

Asset network identifiers (network name, IP address, MAC address);

Properties (alias, type, description, inventory number, etc.);

Asset configuration snapshots, collected as a result of scanning;

The alias of the login assigned to the asset;

The ID of the user assigned to the asset;

The asset’s local user information;

Special field values.

Asset files can be moved between Storages. However, various Storage data will not be moved. For instance, the remote access login will be lost, but it could be restored manually.

Storage management

A copy of TSD is not linked to any particular Storage. This means that you can switch between Storages when the program is running.

Storage management is carried out from the Storage menu:

Create: select an empty folder on a computer and create an empty Storage there;

Open: select a folder containing a previously created Storage to work with;

Recent: contains a list of recently opened Storages that allows to quickly switch between them;

Properties: opens the current Network storage properties;

Reload: reads the data from the computer again, if the changes made to the currently opened Storage have not been automatically registered by TSD;

Close: closes the Storage.

To quickly locate the folder containing the current Storage or a file representing one of the devices, you can use the Show in Explorer option in the context menu of the Network tree.

It's possible to create a Storage in a shared folder and have several copies of TSD connected to it from different computers. Keep in mind that simultaneous access to the same Storage by different copies of TSD is not supported and could lead to irrelevant information being displayed.

Data import

Importing by moving or copying data files

To import assets that have been scanned by any version of TSD, simply copy the .inv files representing these assets into the Storage folder. If TSD is running and connected to this Storage at the moment, the new files will be imported immediately. Otherwise, the files will be imported the next time TSD is started and the Storage opened.

To locate the Storage folder, right-click the Storage root group in the Network tree and select Show in Explorer.

Importing files and folders

To import one or several assets, right-click a group or the root node of the Network tree and choose Import / Import files..., then select the data files to import. This will place the specified assets into the group that you initially right-clicked.

To import the contents of a folder including subfolders, do the same, but choose the Import / Import folder... command instead. After you’ve specified the source folder, you'll be prompted to choose whether to import the folder structure. If you choose to do so, groups will be created in your Storage to match the contents of the source folder. Otherwise, all the assets found in the source folder and its subfolders will be placed in the group you initially right-clicked.

These commands are also available from the main menu Storage / Import when the Storage is opened.

Compatibility with TNI 3 Storage

TSD Network storage has the same format as TNI 3 Storage, which means that TNI 3 storages can be used in TSD and vice versa. When using a storage from TNI, only Windows nodes will be displayed. Devices of other types will be hidden from display in the Network tree; however, they will remain in the storage. License restrictions will affect Windows nodes only. For example, if you have 200 nodes in your TNI storage, of which 40 are Windows nodes, then you only need a 50 node TSD license to work with this storage in TSD.

It's also possible to work with the same storage in both TNI 3 and TSD. If changes are made in one of the programs, they will be detected in the other, and the information about display nodes will be updated. When working in TSD, TNI-specific data will not be affected and will therefore remain up to date.